From:  Andre Oliveira <oliveand@bellsouth.net>
Date:  Thu Feb 14, 2002  8:04 pm
Subject:  [DL-T] Battle in Raisa

Day 2
Afternoon
The Green

K'rvey ran out of the dining hall with a half eaten roll sticking out of
his mouth. He had just been released from the med center and was eating
his lunch when Nhorit had called him declaring an emergency of immense
importance. Now he was running across the green, where he suspected
Nhorit was desperately trying to scratch a spot he couldn't reach. But
to his surprise he began hearing dragons' bellowing. He redoubled his
pace and found Nhorit loading up on coal with half of the Beta wing.

<Nhorit, what's going on? > K'rvey asked as he mounted the huge
blood-red beast.

<There's been an attack in Raisa. We're needed there. > Nhorit said as
he gobbled the last of the coal he could fit in his huge bulk.

<Wraiths or wilds? > K'rvey asked, trying to mentally prepare himself.

<Neither, it's a rogue attack. >

<Rogues! Do you know how many? >

<No, but we'll find out soon enough, I suppose. >

<That's not encouraging. >

<Thorn's rider tells me that we are to leave immediately. We are to fly
in standard v formation and try to drive them out. He also says we
should try to avoid a one to one fight over the city. > Nhorit said as
the wing took to the air.

<That shouldn't be so hard. > K'rvey said sarcastically.

<The wing is ready to teleport. Shall we go? >

<Yes, it would be rude to keep them waiting. >

******
Same time
Above Raisa

The smell of fire drenched the air, cries of horror and panic swelled
every ear, and the sight of chaos was in every direction. Srot was in
paradise. He and his mount had burned at least seven humans to a crisp
and had demolished a couple of buildings as well. Now as they glided
lazily through the air they awaited the arrival of Telnor's riders. The
city had not proved a great deal of resistance and the little that they
had encountered had been quickly destroyed. Srot was almost bored. Almost...

< There, Deutshe! That woman with the child, fly just above her! >

Deutshe obeyed without a word and soon had the running woman flinging
herself to the floor hugging her baby. Srot chuckled lightly and told
Deutshe to land right in front of the pitiful woman. The dragon obeyed
and without being told to, roared horribly in front of the cowering
creature. She was petrified with fear and her child was screaming. Srot
dismounted easily and walked to the cowering pair. The smell of urine
was strong as he looked down at them. He commanded Deutshe to take to
the air and keep look out.

Kneeling next to them he whispered in the woman's ear, "Don't worry my
dear, if you do what I tell you no harm will come to you or your child."

The woman looked at him, tears filled her eyes. She was young, no more
than twenty, She had brown hair and green eyes. A very attractive girl,
she was probably carrying her first child in her arms. She looked at
Srot in complete horror.

"What do you want me to do?" she said fearing that Srot would ask that
she follow him to an empty house nearby.

He looked her up and down like he couldn't decide what to do with such a
ripe young woman. The he looked into her eyes and patted her cheek.
"Call for help," he said.

"What?"

"Call for help at the top of your lungs, my dear," he said almost
whispering, "Call for help like your child's life depends on it," he
smiled menacingly " because it does."

He stood up and grabbed the girl's hair, bringing her to her feet. He
unsheathed his battle-ax and put it to the babies face. The girl began
crying hysterically.

"If you want your child to live, do as I say." Srot roared.

That was all that was needed for the woman to begin crying for help.
Srot kept the ax next to the baby's face and waited calmly. He waited
until he began thinking that his plan might not work. Finally when the
girl's voice was turning hoarse help came: five men armed with
pitchforks, a pair of hammers, and a sword.

A tall, bear of a man, yielding the sword stepped forward, "Lara! Let go
of her, you dog! If you as so much as bruise our child I'll skin you alive!"

Srot grinned. He grabbed the girl's jaw and brought her face inches from
his.

"I wonder what you taste like my dear." He hissed loudly enough for the
men to hear.

He then licked the girl's face and tears. He grinned at the husband's
hand tightened around his sword.

Srot spit on the floor and made a face of disgust, "She tastes like year
old horse dung."

"Let her go coward! Or do you need to use a woman for a shield?"

Srot looked at the husband and smiled. He let go of the girl.

She began weeping and ran clumsily to the men. She gasped and fell in
her husband's arms, moments before Srot pulled out a dagger from his
belt and flung it viciously at her back. She collapsed onto the man's
arms and cried out in pain; the dagger had found its mark in the girl's
heart.

She became stiff and collapsed on the ground, still holding her child,
dead. The big man looked down at his fallen wife, stunned for a few
seconds, and then cried out in pain and in rage. He held her, with the
screaming child between them, and wept.

He wept, for what seemed to Srot, a very long time. He wondered if it
would have been quicker not to kill her.

"Do you plan to weep all day or do you plan to fight me?" Srot said
behind a wide cruel smile.

Finally, the man stood up with tears in his eyes and clenched fists. He
held his child in his arms and kissed its forehead. "Harold," he said
turning to the man yielding the pair of hammers, "take care of my son.
I'll meet you later... after this is over." Harold complied and gently
lifted the child off of his father's arms. Harold then touched the man's
shoulder in a sign of respect and was off. The husband then glared at
Srot and threw his sword to the floor.

Srot understood and threw his own weapon next to the sword; he then took
off his leather armor, placed his feet apart, and presented himself in a
strong fighting stance awaiting the man's attack. The man looked at
Srot's face, spat, and rushed at him while screaming his wife's name.
All the while, his companions looked on.

The man attacked blindly and Srot quickly killed him by stepping to the
side and using the man's momentum to twist his own neck. The man
collapsed next to him and Srot looked down at the human disappointed. He
then looked at the man's companions and smiled again.

"How... touching. He almost made me feel guilty."

The three remaining men circled around Srot and charged. Srot dodged
their poorly aimed pitchforks, rolled on the floor, and rose wielding
his battle-ax. The men turned around and charged again. Srot turned
around and began running to a nearby wall, with the men right behind
him. Reaching the wall he performed an impressive wall jump, which
carried him behind his enemies, while the three men struck the wall,
almost synchronized. Then in pure horror, as they were beginning to turn
around and face their foe, they felt their feet disconnecting from their
body by a very powerful blade. The three men fell to the floor in pain
and looked up dumbfounded in terror. Helpless on the ground, Srot
quickly kicked each of the men's pitchforks aside and killed each one,
savoring each of the men's last screams.

Srot returned to his armor and called Deutshe to him. The dragon
returned within moments.

<Did you kill the fool with the child? > Srot asked as he mounted.

<Yes, I burned both to ashes. >

<Good. >

Srot mounted Deutshe and took to the air.

*********

K'rvey followed his wing attempting to drive the rogues out of the city.
The rogues had spread out across the city and had done an amazing amount
of damage. Now it was beginning to look like they would have to chase
each rogue individually before the city would be rid of the dangerous foes.

< K'rvey, Thorn's rider wants us to split into teams of three and comb
the city to drive out the rogues. >

<All right. Lets go. >

K'rvey signaled the rider and dragon pairs next to him to follow and
then told Nhorit to dive left where he had just spotted a yellow brown
dragon taking off.

<Nhorit, think you can drive him away? >

<Yes, it's three of us against one. He'll most likely teleport away once
he sees us. But I sense something strange about this dragon. I can feel
him there, and yet... he feels different than other dragons. >

< How so? >

< I don't know. He feels like a dragon... but unlike a dragon. It's hard
to explain. >

< He's spotted us. We'll figure it out later. >

K'rvey signaled the riders following him to go left and center. He then
began leading Nhorit to the right. But the yellow brown dragon had
disappeared from sight.

********

Srot, using his altered dragon bond, was now hidden from the rider's
view and was now pulling out his crossbow. He figured the riders would
assume he'd simply teleport away so he decided to use that to his
advantage. He licked the arrow and sprayed his DNA mist onto it. He then
armed the crossbow and began flying towards and below the huge red
dragon. He waited until the great beast was directly above him and then
released his arrow. It slid cleanly through its wing causing little
damage but accomplishing its purpose.

*********

< Ouch! >

< What? What happened Nhorit? Did you spot a rogue? Is he attacking? What? >

< Something went right through my wing, like the world's biggest mosquito. >

< We'll look at it when we go back to the warren. Don't get distracted
by it. >

< It was probably nothing anyway. >


Submitted by:

Andre Oliveira
aka
Soucivi and Dargen
K'rvey and Nhorit
Srot and Deutshe

NRPG:
Well, John what do you think, evil enough? If your interested, Srot
teaches an evil 101 class at the local college. I'm sure Dalmar would be
welcome.